Medieval wood riving - An attempt to recreate craftsmanship

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  • Опубліковано 18 бер 2018
  • The movie describes an attempt to split a thirteen meter long log of pine tree. The riving was done by radial cuts. The original was founded in the spire of the church of Hardemo southwest of Örebro city in the province of Närke. The church was built approximately between 1180 - 1220. These rafts are produced from the log by a method which never been documented before. One side of the rafts is raw sapwood which is rare in churches from the Middle age. All woodworking are done with tools that are modelled on archaeological findings. The felling and riving of the tree are performed with a few axes and tools.
    The movie Medieval wood riven describes an experiment grounded from the medieval roofing project. The project is financed by the Swedish church- Strängnäs.
    The movie was recorded 29 March until 1 April 2016 in Ryfors, Mullsjö, Sweden.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,6 тис.

  • @coniow
    @coniow 5 років тому +77

    Folks talk about (re)building wooden ships as an exercise in 'experimental archeology.' They then say that we no longer have the skills to do this. That is PARTLY true, but a bigger problem is that we no longer have the timber to work with! The Royal Forests in the UK were largely there for the growing of trees for ship building, with hunting as a handy byproduct. Shipwrites would tour the forests with patterns of parts that they needed, think of a "Y" shape, or an "L" or "C" shape formed by a branch. These trees were marked for future reference, and 'trained' to create the shape needed, so that they could be 'harvested' 10 or 20 years later. Not exactly the "Just-In-Time" delivery that we expect today!

    • @rayodelsol80
      @rayodelsol80 5 років тому +7

      Con Cahill that’s fascinating and amazing!

    • @gaylanbishop1641
      @gaylanbishop1641 10 місяців тому +2

      Excellent insight

    • @EternalShadow1667
      @EternalShadow1667 9 місяців тому +1

      Fascinating but what about other parts of the world--do such timbers still persist in some lonely corners?

    • @coniow
      @coniow 9 місяців тому +3

      @@EternalShadow1667 I do not know for sure, but suspect it would be unlikely. Tim Severin has done a number of Voyages in replicas of historical sea going craft, one of his biggest problems was finding craftsmen and women who were still alive and able to build the boats he wanted. These were exercises in "Experimental Archiology" to firstly find out if a Legendary Voyage, (Sinbad's for one example), might ACTUALLY have been possible, then to find out how the vessel was constructed and sailed, and lastly to see if they could repeat the voyage. The results were usually surprising, and also showed how much shipwrights knew then, that we have forgotten NOW!
      Given that the Craftsmen are all but died out, there would be no call for such dedicated timber supplies, and if there were, they would probably have been forgotten about :-(.
      If you should be interested in them, the link below is for Amazon's listing for some of them. An interesting read.
      www.amazon.co.uk/Voyage-Tim-Severin-ebook/dp/B08Y1V2GT2/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=1174279317901186&hvadid=73392659384470&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=132317&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-73392599781100%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=24397_2219292&keywords=tim+severin&qid=1691602401&sr=8-4

    • @smolboyi
      @smolboyi 6 місяців тому +1

      Appreciate the knowledge 🙏🏼

  • @SirMidnightBravehear
    @SirMidnightBravehear 5 років тому +25

    These men's skill with their axes is wonderful to watch

  • @jle63218
    @jle63218 5 років тому +22

    You don't get ax skills like that overnight. I had an old man in his 70's out-chop 20-year-old me back in the 70's. He cut accurately, no wasted motions. I beat my part to death and wore myself out.

    • @Dave-ty2qp
      @Dave-ty2qp 5 років тому +7

      Don't feel bad Kid. My father taught my brother, and I how to use a cross cut saw, and an ax when we were jusr small kids. We cut for fire wood, and to keep our wooded areas clear of stunted, or diseased trees. Having aquired the skills early, I didn't remember ever feeling tired, or worked too hard. A few years ago, I did cut up some fallen trees on my property, and now in my late seventies I do know what it's like to feel tired and overworked. LOL

    • @ken481959
      @ken481959 5 років тому +1

      Notice: Those guys were in no big hurry to take down the tree, or to do the rest of the chopping.
      Remember: The Turtle always wins the race.

    • @priestesslucy3299
      @priestesslucy3299 3 роки тому +1

      By any chance would either of you happen to know what he meant when he said that the conventional method only produces 4 rafters?
      Just how do we waste so much.

  • @michaellangford174
    @michaellangford174 5 років тому +25

    I met Daniel Eriksson and Matthias Hallgren at a timber framing conference last fall, where they demonstrated hewing a timber and splitting it into three planks of even thickness. The skill..strength, coordination, and stamina, required to do such work is comparable to what we expect to see in athletics, but rarely do we see such competence in the building trades. World class.

  • @gondolacrescent5
    @gondolacrescent5 5 років тому +22

    The sound of sharp iron shearing into the felled timber, echoes and cracks -producing the most satisfying sound imaginable. The chain saw sounds like death and hell by comparison.

    • @brucea550
      @brucea550 5 років тому

      And accordingly, logging with horses is so much more pleasing than noisy destructive skidders and feller/bunchers!

  • @gunlokman
    @gunlokman 5 років тому +16

    I didn't realise how therapeutic it is to watch skilled people recreating history like this. Absolutely fascinating!

  • @bonesthenorthwoodswarriors1854
    @bonesthenorthwoodswarriors1854 3 роки тому +17

    Thank you tremendously for not only taking the time to document this amazing process, but also for taking the time to provide English subtitles.

  • @valuedhumanoid6574
    @valuedhumanoid6574 5 років тому +18

    My grandfather was a master carpenter (among other "masters") and he would take me with him on timber hunts. We went to an old warehouse that was built in 1901 and was going to be demolished. We went and saw the timbers that were used in the construction. Massive oak beam that were taken from old growth forest, like 500 years old or more. The grains were so tight that you could not drive a nail into it with out drilling a pilot hole. They were then coated with pitch (tar) and perfectly preserved. He purchased eight of the best he could find and took them to a saw mill where they were planked into 3" x 16" x 12' lengths. He turned them into clocks, custom cabinetry, tables, whatever. He also made his workshop out of them. The rafters are 4" x 4" solid oak. All connected together with dowels and dovetail joints in such a way that when they expand they just get tighter fits. No mechanical fasteners were used (no screws, nails, etc.) People still come to see and we've had Amish carpenters even compliment his work.

    • @davidlangton4743
      @davidlangton4743 5 років тому +2

      It's a shame you can't post photos on here mate. If you ever post them someone online, send me a link.

    • @briand6671
      @briand6671 5 років тому +1

      My grandfather was a Master Bater

  • @markmckenzie3072
    @markmckenzie3072 5 років тому +17

    Very impressed by all the quality skills in play here. Keeping the split straight over that length is fantastic and the smooth and accurate finish with the broad axe is something to behold. Wonderful. Well done chaps.

  • @jeepman1961
    @jeepman1961 Рік тому +7

    What an honor it is to be able to connect with their ancestors in this way.

  • @eadghe
    @eadghe 5 років тому +9

    The lack of music, the gentle voice and the chopping is pretty relaxing. Very interesting experiment!

  • @o5245607
    @o5245607 5 років тому +3

    Back up a theory with actual hands-on proof is the ultimate craftsmanship. Well done!

  • @band1tt
    @band1tt 5 років тому +11

    I've heard from the older generation here in Norway that they used to pick the trees they would use for building, then they removed the bark at the foot of the tree and then waited for a year or the next season to cut it down. The reason had something to do with the sap would fill the tree out to the bark and make it last longer or somewhat. I really would like to find more information on this.

    • @MrAluminox
      @MrAluminox 5 років тому +10

      The process you describes was used to kill a tree and accelerate the drying as the tree has no more sap which circulates by the cambium. There is a disadvantage the stressed tree will attract lots of xylophage (wood eating) insects.
      At my knowledge, a process taking several years was used for the construction of wooden churches in Norway during the years 1000. The process works only with some species of pine trees.
      In fact the pine tree is killed in a way that it will fill up with resin/sap. In fact the contrary of the method of removing the bark at the foot.
      First year the branches of the pine are cut, the tree reacts like for an insect attack and exudes lots of resin. The bark is left, as the sap uses the cambium under the bark to go up in the tree.
      Idem for the second year if the pine tree is always alive.
      The pine finally dies and left to dry standing on its roots. Meantime by gravity the excess of resin is going down to the roots .
      When the pine is dry enough, it is felled and the roots dug out. The roots are filled with condensed sap and by distillation/controlled burning the turpentine and tars are obtained. These products will be used to protect the wood.

  • @nutsmcflurry3737
    @nutsmcflurry3737 5 років тому +35

    To all the posters stating that the 200 year old tree was wasted. I think it was put to a very good use, your education. A noble and lofty goal.
    What you do not realize, is that most species of pine don't live all that long. Most will rot and hit the ground before 250 years. Very wasteful. And then there's the added benefit of your knowledge on how the rafters in a 700 to 900 year old church steeple was made.
    See how this works? Education.

    • @QuantumRift
      @QuantumRift 5 років тому

      Nuts, morons here who bemoan the use of a 195 yr old tree don't have a clue about anything. They'd rather put flowers around it and bow down and worship it.

    • @dosmundos3830
      @dosmundos3830 5 років тому

      only the ignorant kill things that outlive them. that's how species are eradicated.

    • @ClintAnderson808
      @ClintAnderson808 5 років тому +1

      @@QuantumRift no that's what you do in the little playhouse they built lol

    • @QuantumRift
      @QuantumRift 5 років тому

      @@dosmundos3830 It's a tree. Nothing more, nothing less. Oak trees are not endangered. Now go piss on a tree and fertilize it.

    • @QuantumRift
      @QuantumRift 5 років тому

      @@ClintAnderson808 Since you don't have a clue about what you're talking about, any comment you have about it is immaterial.

  • @jeffryblackmon4846
    @jeffryblackmon4846 5 років тому +6

    It is gratifying to note that modern carpenters and tree fellers are capable of using ancient tools and techniques. They would be invaluable in recreating or repairing a centuries old structure.

    • @Nphen
      @Nphen 5 років тому +3

      Notre Dame comes to mind for new timbers needing to be cut in a centuries old fashion.

    • @jeffryblackmon4846
      @jeffryblackmon4846 5 років тому

      @@Nphen Thanks for the thought. I was not thinking that deeply!

    • @sarkybugger5009
      @sarkybugger5009 5 років тому +2

      Those weren't tree fellers. I counted four of them. ;o)

    • @jeffryblackmon4846
      @jeffryblackmon4846 5 років тому +1

      @@sarkybugger5009 My wife tells me not to make such silly jokes. BUT I LIKE 'EM! GOOD ONE!

    • @sarkybugger5009
      @sarkybugger5009 5 років тому

      @Jeffry It's the way I tell 'em. ;o)

  • @JS-ul3ic
    @JS-ul3ic 5 років тому +9

    Lovely to see old skills being used and it would be good if the younger generation learnt them as who knows one day they could really be needed you can’t always relay on power tools 👍👍👍👍

  • @Si74l0rd
    @Si74l0rd 4 роки тому +11

    Many thanks for subtitling this video in English, much appreciation and greetings from the UK. Amazing tree you found, to think that the originals were two metres longer before the branches started, their trees, and the forests must have towered!

  • @markgoddard2560
    @markgoddard2560 5 років тому +5

    It’s good to see a tree used in such a respectful way and the cutting of it, done so professionally, with minimal wastage.

    • @justpettet3506
      @justpettet3506 5 років тому

      Annyai Presoski but what the fuck for? To see if we can? We did 900 yrs ago wtf are people doing

    • @1pcfred
      @1pcfred 5 років тому +1

      @@justpettet3506 to document the process today. We were pretty sure that's how it was done 900 years ago but no one actually wrote it down, or made a video of it.

    • @brandondumont7223
      @brandondumont7223 5 років тому

      @@justpettet3506 kill every thing waste the environment be a tool of the consumer model.

    • @Br1cht
      @Br1cht 5 років тому

      @@justpettet3506 This aint 4chann! :D

  • @counciousstream
    @counciousstream 4 роки тому +6

    There is something very satisfying to see a properly sharpened axe used to cut wood so smoothly. It's as if the craftsman was cutting butter.

  • @NonFerricIrony
    @NonFerricIrony 4 роки тому +8

    Impressive work.
    My farm is only about 150 years old, but my house and barns show tool marks of similar techniques used by my German immigrant family and their neighbors in 1800's USA.

  • @MarkBTomlinson
    @MarkBTomlinson 5 років тому +14

    Very interesting video, thank you for the English subtitles. The results of the process are simple amazing such skill with simple hand tools, proof of concept.

  • @mgmcd1
    @mgmcd1 5 років тому +11

    That is some beautiful work. Thanks for documenting it.

  • @pushpendrakhaira9337
    @pushpendrakhaira9337 5 років тому +9

    Pretty nice. Medieval carpenters did not have internet, so they actually did the things !

  • @TheJaybrone
    @TheJaybrone 5 років тому +7

    I have no clue how this ended up on my recommendations. But it's oddly fascinating.

  • @Graysail0r
    @Graysail0r 5 років тому +17

    I cannot imagine why anyone would downvote this. It was a magnificent way to understand what people went through before the advent of chainsaws and wood mills. lol. Amazing and fascinating. Thank you for this.

    • @dosmundos3830
      @dosmundos3830 5 років тому +1

      they never actually said they were building anything, other than a youtube video at the expense of a 200 year old tree.

    • @pwnmeisterage
      @pwnmeisterage 5 років тому +5

      @@dosmundos3830 They seemed impressed by how little wood needed to be wasted by the process, and they did carry at least one beam away. So I'm guessing they came back for all the rest of the wood and put it into some kind of historical restoration project - probably that old church tower we saw earlier.
      It seems like far too much real work to produce nothing more than a dead tree, a pile of discarded wood, and a low-viewer UA-cam video.

    • @christopherworth1
      @christopherworth1 5 років тому +5

      I believe there are those who just enjoy spreading their misery around. Sort of Hate Seeking Missiles.

    • @pwnmeisterage
      @pwnmeisterage 5 років тому +1

      @@christopherworth1 People who live in wooden houses should not throw ... well, you get the idea.

    • @darkiee69
      @darkiee69 5 років тому

      @@dosmundos3830 It's a part of the medieval roofing project.

  • @solfeinberg437
    @solfeinberg437 5 років тому +4

    The fact that these buildings are 700 to 800 years old suggests that there is something very worth studying, preserving, perpetuating here. If we can make homes and dwellings last this long, we can have some serious security in our dwellings.

  • @heckinmemes6430
    @heckinmemes6430 5 років тому +7

    I'm not sure why youtube sent me here, but I'm glad it did.
    Very good, educational, video. Thanks for posting it!

  • @danl.909
    @danl.909 5 років тому +6

    These men have wonderful skill with the tools. Just imagine how skillful the medieval craftsmen were who used such tools practically their whole lives. How much faster could they work?

  • @TheDieselbutterfly
    @TheDieselbutterfly 5 років тому +10

    That is serious axe control

    • @Hellsong89
      @Hellsong89 5 років тому +1

      I can tell from experience its not easy as it might look. It takes least a month of practice to even get a close to that level and you cant replicate hand crafted surface. There are blades for big angle cutters to do this much faster and with less skill required, but it looks way different. Too uniform if its made with machine.

    • @brandondumont7223
      @brandondumont7223 5 років тому

      there are few different kinds of axes some are easier to plane wood with as they don't want to bite as a normal axe would

  • @gurglejug627
    @gurglejug627 5 років тому +14

    The täljyxan translation given as broad-axe is essentially correct, and has its roots in the idea of not so much that it's 'broad' in the modern sense but that board or plank in Scandinavian languages was (variants of) "breda" - which can also be translated as "board". Thus, one could say it's a "board-axe" ('plank -forming-axe') as much as a "broad axe" (which might refer to the axe-head), but only the latter is in common usage. Another not incorrect translation of täljyxa is side-axe. But personally I would prefer the term bilyxa for these broad and side-axes, and perhaps use the term carving-axe, forming axe or finishing-axe as a better description of a täljyxa. Another variant I have seen here and there in names for these types of axes are "skeppsyxor" - lit. ship axes, with the obvious need to make board (plank) shapes to form the strakes of a ship - Viking ships were always built by splitting/cleaving logs aproximately in the way shown in the video, as the wood remains stronger and more flexible when the grain is not cut across as with sawing. Roughly speaking, old men of the forest have told me that of ten pines felled in Scandinavian forests, some three would have a clockwise twist in the grain, three anti-clockwise and three rather straight (I have not verified this, it's hearsay). The twists though can be used for forming certain strakes in a ship, making use of the natural form of the wood, and following the twist when splitting as opposed to straight-splitting. Roskilde Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark, have carried out a large spectrum of splitting and cleaving experiments on many kinds of woods, using traditional and ancient techniques, and document their methods and work very thoroughly.

  • @danmcelroy6584
    @danmcelroy6584 5 років тому +7

    Thank you for sharing and demonstrating how this was done. You all have showed me many things I did not know. Glad to have learned them. Cheers!

  • @Chr.U.Cas2216
    @Chr.U.Cas2216 5 років тому +8

    Extremely well done! Congrats. This rafter is so much flexible and stronger than a sawn one. Thanks a lot for making taping editing uploading and sharing.
    Best regards, luck and health to all involved.

  • @bharland85
    @bharland85 5 років тому +11

    Y'all are absolute wizards with an axe.

  • @5chr4pn3ll
    @5chr4pn3ll 5 років тому +4

    Really interesting and nice video.
    Comment section is a trash fire, but know that your work is very appreciated.

  • @justsorandom764
    @justsorandom764 5 років тому +8

    The first chalk lines used soot. I didn't know this before. I am super glad I do now. Old building techniques fascinate me to no end.

    • @mikemccourt6225
      @mikemccourt6225 5 років тому +1

      Well put

    • @mauriceryton
      @mauriceryton 5 років тому

      A guy could easily make his own by taking the remaining charcoal from the campfire the next morning and pulverizing them into powder. I think l might try this myself.

  • @Srulio
    @Srulio Рік тому +8

    This video shows a team of people going to great lengths to maintain a 800 year old church. The team shows considerable skill in rediscovering histroic building methods while aiming for economy of materials and labour. Very commendable.

  • @CastilloDelDiablo
    @CastilloDelDiablo 5 років тому +4

    I met a guy many years ago who produced willow for cricket bats. He cultivated them from seed in his garden until they were about 5 yr old and would ensure no branches formed on the main part that would become the trunk. This was to ensure no knots on the main trunk that was used for the bats and to ensure the maximum amount of wood could be harvested from one tree.

  • @AlexLaw_Qld
    @AlexLaw_Qld 5 років тому +5

    A pleasure to watch professional craftsmen at work. I envy them the smooth soft lumber, being Australian and used to cutting somewhat less easygoing logs. I shall add several techniques to my skillset which makes today a win in my book.

  • @Bilabius
    @Bilabius 5 років тому +4

    Working wood without power tools is its own reward.

  • @peetiegonzalez1845
    @peetiegonzalez1845 5 років тому +24

    I was told there were tree fellers but I counted four!

    • @RIPPERTON
      @RIPPERTON 5 років тому +2

      thars a fuggin Eirishmun in avry crauid isenar

    • @pd4165
      @pd4165 5 років тому

      One for the Brits and Oirish
      Rolf Harris, Max Clifford and Stuart Hall walk into a Irish pub.
      The barman shouts 'Oh no, not Yew Tree again'.

    • @tightywhitey6466
      @tightywhitey6466 4 роки тому

      I checked the log, and he is correct.

  • @drivesthecar3247
    @drivesthecar3247 6 років тому +8

    Once again, I am completely mesmerised!
    But this time, with English subtitles, I know what's going on and it's 3 a.m!!! }:]
    Tack så mycket!!

  • @larshakonslette2760
    @larshakonslette2760 5 років тому +8

    @örebrolänsmuseum, At 6:47 they talk about some cracks in the wood. Earlier the woodsmen cut of the bottom meter of bark some years before they cut the tree. When they did so, the wood fibers starts to contract and the entire tree twist in the direction of the fibres. That way, when the woodsman later cut the tree down, the cracks would not be severe or damage the construction later. This might have happened in this church as well, when you see the sparr logs at 1:25. The cracks is much more diagonal than what you would find on a regular tree.
    Some of the stave churches in Norway has some really bad issues because of newer renovation that did not take this into care. For instance, Høyjord Stave Church probably have to change the main stave because it at present date is more than 10cm lower than when they replaced it some years ago, during renovation.

    • @brk932
      @brk932 5 років тому +3

      You are correct. The twisted fibers of the tree have a lot of tension which help the tree resist winds. The most tension of course is in the outer layers. Aging the way you describe it will start drying the wood from the outer layers and contract the wood and this way reversing the twist slowly and releasing the tension. That is VERY clever!

    • @BWreSlippySlope
      @BWreSlippySlope 5 років тому +2

      You have any information on this technique. I've been searching but could not find the technique in use or notably discussed.

    • @larspetersson4463
      @larspetersson4463 5 років тому +3

      @lars håkon Slette, If you chose to cut bar from a tree years before felling the tre you can have a pair of reasons. If you cut the bark from a Pine it usually are for get the wood more resistent from water, moisture and rot. If you hurt a Pine like that it will produce fat wood. Other trees, like trees with leaf will die. In Sweden there are a Association which work with different methods to get pienwood with high quality. Kook on the website www.fetvedensvanner.com /Lars Petersson, Örebro läns museum

    • @larshakonslette2760
      @larshakonslette2760 4 роки тому

      @@larspetersson4463 Thank you for the link! Just took a sneak peak and it is great!
      I heard about this technique at a tour in Høyjord Stave Church in Vestfold. When they renovated the church after the WWII the renovators did not use this technique when they mounted a new main stave in the center of the church. Therefore the new log has dried and is now twisting in a locked position causing the log to crack. The drying and twisting of the log is also causing the log to shrink. The main log might have to be replaced soon again.

  • @censusgary
    @censusgary 5 років тому +14

    I’ve done enough chopping to know these men are extremely accurate with their axe blows. They must do a lot of this kind of work.

  • @dielauwen
    @dielauwen 5 років тому +4

    My father was Scott. In Gaelic he described this method but showed me on a smaller scale. He was born about 1900. Your broad axe was narrow. A wider one would have been faster and less tiring. He Made a mast for sailboat restoration from Spruce. That was 50 years ago.

  • @KITLEVEY
    @KITLEVEY 5 років тому +4

    Four men, a couple of axes, some augmenting tools, and good weather, gets this job done in just three days. Impressive.

  • @wiffasmith1
    @wiffasmith1 6 років тому +8

    Top film, thanks for sharing

  • @samuelsmith5773
    @samuelsmith5773 5 років тому +3

    I watched an old man in Korea cut, flatten, and straighten boards to build a boat using only an axe. Best quality axe work I’ve observed. Years later, I was fortunate enough to visit the Viking Stave Churches in Norway. They used the same techniques to build the churches used to build their ships. Standing next to the Fjords, in Scandinavian weather, is a testament to the work and techniques of those men.

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior 5 років тому

      It is good to look BACK occasionally, appreciate and filter the historical good from the bad, and move forward intelligently, isn't it. I am QUITE SURE that there are MANY technologies used in ancient times that outperform our best stuff now. Zero question. One is the drum head "marching army detector" found under the Great Wall in China. Scientists put our best seismic equipment head to head against it, and modern tech LOST. At least that's what I've been told, wasn't actually there for the experiment, though I would have liked to be. ;-)

  • @nayhem
    @nayhem 5 років тому +4

    Can't wait to see the rafters for the second restoration planted in 2640!

  • @mikemiller4979
    @mikemiller4979 5 років тому +4

    .
    The last long scene of the guys hauling off that rafter was a nice touch.
    Well done, Sven.
    .

  • @deldridg
    @deldridg 5 років тому +6

    This is a beautiful video - making fine things with wood using traditional techniques, might I say with phenomenal stamina, skills, thought and patience. Many thanks indeed. I must also add, that as a woodworker with a deep love of trees, it's never easy for me to watch one being felled, preferring not to think about it when I do my own work. This beautiful tree will now have a long life in a new role. :-) Many regards from Sydney, Australia - Dave

    • @lawrencewinney3470
      @lawrencewinney3470 5 років тому

      Many people do not realise that older Australian trees commonly have a hollow trunk where the heartwood has rotted been eaten by termites damaged by fire hollowed out by parrots nesting regeneration to adult trees about forty years

  • @russmartin4189
    @russmartin4189 11 місяців тому +6

    Very labor intensive. Building a church must have been a very long process extending over many years.

    • @coole6825
      @coole6825 5 місяців тому +2

      Or many men....

  • @daveh3997
    @daveh3997 5 років тому +22

    Lots of complaints about the poor tree being chopped down for a video. Grow up folks. You just witnessed a very environmentally friendly way to produce a few building materials. And they are doing it in pretty much the same way as most of our ancestors did for centuries.
    Trees are a renewable resource. You can grow new trees.
    Bricks? Most bricks used today are made out of clay, which is mined out of the earth The clay is then mixed with water then shaped into bricks.They are left to dry for a day before being moved into kilns ,then through the process of adding extremely high temperatures the clay is hardened into usable bricks. So you have to mine and transport the raw materials then burn large quantities of fuel to bake the brick.
    Cement? To make cement, limestone (calcium carbonate) is heated to about 10000C, along with clay (which contains silicates). At this temperature, the limestone and clays break down into Calcium Oxide (known as Lime), Silicon Oxides and Carbon dioxide. The two oxides then combine to produce di & tri-calcium Silicate, which is then ground to a fine powder. Gypsum is added and is ground to produce the cement, which is the main ingredient of concrete. Then you need to add sand gravel and water--the first two have to be extracted from the earth. Like bricks you are burning large amounts of fuel to make the material. Now re watch the video and tell me how many tons of minerals were mined and how much fuel was burned to make that lumber?

    • @tc1817
      @tc1817 5 років тому +1

      The point many people are making is that if not for a UA-cam video, this tree would still be standing. 195 years is 8-9 generations of people. I don't know about you but I would be unable to tell you who my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents were.

    • @burre01
      @burre01 5 років тому +3

      @@tc1817 There's about 60-90 billion trees in Sweden (source: riksskogstaxeringen) most of it is pine and spruce, and ive worked in forestry, most pine you cut is 100 years old, but 195 year old ones are very common too, as long as these guys are working this single pine, many more pine trees in sweden has their 195th birthday :D

    • @dosmundos3830
      @dosmundos3830 5 років тому +1

      you can't grow a 200 year old tree, unless you're a tortoise maybe. Grow up you arrogant human moron ;)

    • @sniffy6999999
      @sniffy6999999 5 років тому

      @@dosmundos3830 tortoises taste good too.Hmmm

  • @petter5721
    @petter5721 5 років тому +4

    Tack för att ni bevarar den Svenska kulturen och historian 👍🏻

  • @mikekernan5388
    @mikekernan5388 5 років тому +3

    At 11:23 the way the log log moves. Nature in action. Bending, instead of breaking. No wonder the pieces from the 1100s are still intact!

    • @markdoldon8852
      @markdoldon8852 5 років тому

      First, any piece of wood that size will bend that amount before breaking. But we dry wood before using it (as im sure the medieval workers did) that stiffens the wood. An actual rafter that bent that easily would be useless in supporting anything. It would also dry out and bend. I have seen green 4 x 4" posts twist 90 degrees when allowed to dry without support. Green wood is actually shit as a building materisl. When stacked up carefully it will dry out relatively straight, strong, and stiff and do the job you need it to do (like hold up a roof)

  • @dooleyfussle8634
    @dooleyfussle8634 5 років тому +4

    Nice video, interesting scorp like tool used for de-barking.

  • @kxd2591
    @kxd2591 5 років тому +2

    That makes one appreciative of POWER TOOLS! But, I also appreciate the craftsmanship involved. Thanks for posting.

  • @iamcarbonandotherbits.8039
    @iamcarbonandotherbits.8039 5 років тому +5

    A lot of hard work went into gaining that knowledge. Well done lads.

  • @guyprolly
    @guyprolly 2 роки тому +4

    This is a most important project. Largely, meaning has been devolved from life by everything being so easy and at the reach of ready-made products. The part at the end about saving labour, saving material, and creating a strong rafter, were most impressive. Many thanks for the hard work.

  • @duncb7937
    @duncb7937 5 років тому +7

    Thank you for producing such a wonderful and informative video, your hard work certainly paid off, Bravo to you and your team.

    • @larspetersson4463
      @larspetersson4463 5 років тому

      @Duncan Burt Thank you for all kindly words! That inspire to examine and document other historian techniques. Lars Petersson, Örebro läns museum

  • @dansalzmann7153
    @dansalzmann7153 5 років тому +5

    Fantastic axe work and a great look into how things were done during that time. Very precise for using hand axes and wedges. No wonder that spire has lasted over 800 years.

  • @HollywoodCreeper
    @HollywoodCreeper 5 років тому +6

    Man,
    I wish you guys could all come over to Angelica, NY and help me fix my barn.

  • @paulorchard7960
    @paulorchard7960 4 роки тому +4

    Traditional skills do need to be practiced and preserved, and also taught to up and coming guardians of the craft, may the knowledge be passed on so we survive into the future!
    ,

  • @MrRander7769
    @MrRander7769 5 років тому +5

    That was a very interesting video, but remember fellas when that tree rolls on you, it doesn't hurt itself.

    • @labibbidabibbadum
      @labibbidabibbadum 5 років тому

      I was thinking the same watching him sitting down beside several tonnes of wood being flipped over towards him. (Hell, I've hurt myself when short logs ready to split for the fire flipped in an unexpected way.)

  • @audigit
    @audigit 4 роки тому +5

    Great work with a huge benefit to heritage. Thank you very much for all the hard work cutting, detail conversation, and filming/editing this great outing!

  • @kennethcope7266
    @kennethcope7266 5 років тому +10

    I would love to know how long each phase took, from the initial felling to the first, then subsequent splits, and so on.

  • @conantdog
    @conantdog 5 років тому +3

    I have a chainsaw Mill and it's magical to see something round turned into boards this is as well a beautiful process thanks for showing it.

  • @samueldougoud3289
    @samueldougoud3289 2 роки тому +2

    Your humble approach, your refined technique and sound knowledge are a splendid tribute to that majestic tree. The generations of foresters who dedicated their care to its growth would certainly approve your work.

  • @RobertWilton
    @RobertWilton 5 років тому +6

    Fantastic axe work fellas. Pardon the pun, but top notch! I may very well be wrong and am in no way trying to take away from your work and the technique but my understanding was that when splitting, they did as was done in this video up until the hammering in of the wedges. I had been told that the wedges were then soaked with water, and the timbermen would work another piece while the wedges absorbed the water and expanded, opening the split further - then a cut, hammer in new (dry of course) wedges into the split, and move on again while the wedges were periodically soaked, and the process was repeated several times as the split got deeper. I think this was a big time saver allowing them to work on a number of splits at a time as wedges in other partially split logs did some of the work for them.

  • @patrickhayes3099
    @patrickhayes3099 5 років тому +3

    "You save on labor." Wow, way back when, someone saved labor with this method. Now, it is a reminder that we have developed great tools to save even more labor. Has the quality of our new work kept pace with the products of old? Sometimes not. I wish my Swedish were better so I could listen to this and not read subtitles. Thanks for a great piece of work. Looking forward to more of your efforts!

  • @sams5155
    @sams5155 5 років тому +4

    Very impressive gentlemen you shined a light on how our ancestors worked and made things that lasts 100s of years and it was all done by hand with little tools and their brawn and Brains, we should always preserve the knowledge and respect our past for the path it laid for us today. God bless mankind

  • @atw98
    @atw98 5 років тому +5

    In Australia we only have a culture of beer and wenches, love this dedication to woodworking amazing and interesting.

    • @ivans7406
      @ivans7406 5 років тому

      Because you are not proud of culture of indigenous people who have some old culture.

    • @theyarehere8919
      @theyarehere8919 5 років тому +1

      Wait! What? Wow, I'll be right there. I like my beer cold. I'll bring a couple of extra wenches too. I can watch tree chopping for hours.

    • @jsmcguireIII
      @jsmcguireIII 5 років тому +1

      you forgot the millions of acres of montery pine and bluegum.

    • @aebemacgill
      @aebemacgill 5 років тому

      So-Instead of using a wench to tighten something, you get the wench tight?

  • @paulwhitehouse3690
    @paulwhitehouse3690 2 роки тому +2

    Wonderful to see the old techniques are being retained, there is a fundamental need for such skills, particularly as we head towards a society that has become increasingly specialised.

  • @DoomTurtle1
    @DoomTurtle1 5 років тому +9

    That axing motion at 19:09 makes me so anxious about the dudes leg

    • @rolsen1304
      @rolsen1304 5 років тому +1

      I bet they would have shin protection from oxhide or similiar back in the day. No antibiotics available would make people very safety conscious. People assume they would just brute force it and people would die left and right in accidents, but there's zero proof for this. I bet they would show the same level of care of a japanese sushi chef working on poisionous fugu fish in their ax handling.

    • @DoomTurtle1
      @DoomTurtle1 5 років тому

      @pagansforbreakfastswinging ax close to leg=bad

    • @DoomTurtle1
      @DoomTurtle1 5 років тому

      @@rolsen1304 but there must be another way to carve that trunk than swing a sharp edge next to you knee

    • @CelbucheRonfou
      @CelbucheRonfou 5 років тому

      well usually you always stand on the other side of the tree you are shaping, so the tree stand between you and the axe. @18:34

  • @ericcsuf
    @ericcsuf 5 років тому +4

    Our ancestors were at least as smart and skilled as we are. They just had to deal with different technology. Work like this let's us appreciate and admire our roots. Thanks for a very enjoyable and informative video.

    • @ken481959
      @ken481959 5 років тому +1

      In many cases they were of higher IQ. While they didn't have as much factual knowledge per se, they were on the average smarter than people today because the stupid ones died off faster. Today they are propped up and allowed to breed, thusly lowering the intelligence of humanity as a whole.
      It may sound harsh, but it is true nonetheless.

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior 5 років тому +1

      @@ken481959 Eugenics aside, hard to argue. The proof is in the pudding. When you see tags in clothes that say (not kidding) DO NOT IRON WHILE WEARING, and the like, or people suing McD's because they sold her HOT coffee, which most people practically demand, that she subsequently DUMPED in her lap and got burned (who'da thought THAT would happen under those conditions, right?).
      I for one, like the trend in some areas, like powered paramotoring for LESS regulation...that one has weeded out a few Darwin award candidates (maybe a few winners in there, actually), you can get killed doing that (at a very low level, though) if you do EVERYTHING right.
      THEN I see a YT video, where a guy is "self teaching", which MANY intelligent people, with the RIGHT knowledge garnered through research, reading the RIGHT texts, and time spent hands on learning the basics, ground handling and the like, and "professional" PPM pilots to check out their knowledge comprehensively and radio them suggestions the first flight or ten do just fine. Anyway THIS MORON, obviously knowing NOTHING about ANY aspect of the endeavor, straps on the harness, which, keep in mind has been rigorously and iteratively designed using YEARS of data of failures, (and when you see COMPETENT pilots doing preflights often checking all the harness buckles carabiners, etc., top to bottom, COUNTING them as they go, and physically stressing each one by pulling them to make sure they are securely buckled, and sometimes MORE THAN ONE PASS, then says "I don't even KNOW what that does" about the cross chest buckle, and UNBUCKLES it before his flight, no kidding, it WAS buckled, and he unbuckles it.
      H O L Y C R A P, life is hard, it's harder if you are stupid. May not be illegal, but there ARE consequences. ;-) Believe it or not, he GOT THROUGH the first flight in one piece, you should have SEEN the comment section, especially from PPG and PPM enthusiasts....it was scathing...mine was, too. Unfortunately, those morons ALSO get figured into the accident statistics, at the same level as a NORMAL due-diligence person would. I think there should definitely be a moron and "doing just plain stupid things at the time" reduction/fudge factor for their "contributions". If you're popping a wheelie on a bike at 200 mph down a damned freeway FULL of cars, no kidding it's all over YT), you should be removed from the accident statistics. I don't care HOW you design a system like that, they are always NOT idiot proof, and engineer resistant. Hell, Tesla can design a system that AIDS a driver, and has been shown to do it correctly MANY times, and has statistically made the car about TWICE as safe, AND adamantly tells you it's NOT a hands off system, and CERTAINLY not an autopilot (yet), and accidents with drivers ASLEEP (not kidding) factor into the mix the same as an accident where the driving system was ACTUALLY at fault, rare, but has happened a few times. I love the one on YT where everyone is all over Tesla for the hit of the illegally crossing bicyclist, at night, no lights, no general road lighting, and pretty much obviously completely unaware of her surroundings (drunk or high on her ass) by her almost total lack of any response even just before contact. Looking at that video, I can pretty much guarantee any normal competent driver would have had virtually no chance avoiding that impact. From the time you first see her, in the camera anyway, to the time of the impact is WELL within the time your body takes to even respond to such a thing (about a half to 3/4 second, best conditions, all around). So no, no foul there. SHOULD it have "seen" her and corrected. That, as you say, is an individual call. ;-)

  • @lesfox2010
    @lesfox2010 5 років тому +2

    Very interesting, thanks for this.
    I was really expecting over a thousand snowflake tree huggers whining about the tree being chopped down, but no. I was pleasantly surprised, it is mostly quite civilised.
    Hoping to see more of this restoration.

  • @fantomfotog
    @fantomfotog 5 років тому +5

    AMAZING JOB! CRAFTMANSHIP OF OLD WITH SAME TYPE OF TOOL

  • @blondbowler8776
    @blondbowler8776 5 років тому +7

    As a guy who has split tons of oak, fir, larch, and pine firewood, and miles of cedar rails and posts the past 50 years, and felled whole forests, this is pretty cool. Thank you.

    • @Crowback354
      @Crowback354 5 років тому +1

      M8 you shouldn't be proud that you've felled entire forests.

    • @blondbowler8776
      @blondbowler8776 5 років тому +9

      A forest is a giant garden that needs weeding if you won't let it burn. For every tree we felled we planted ten more. Don't wave your "should" finger of ignorance at me.

    • @viklove7738
      @viklove7738 5 років тому

      How many bird eggs and insect hives did you leave behind tho

    • @blondbowler8776
      @blondbowler8776 5 років тому +4

      Lots and lots, I'm sure. Especially those meat bees. Kill a horse and consume it in hours. Hehehe..but I'm sure you flatland city slickers know all about that stuff. Ate a lot of those eggs, too, not to mention the birds that layed em. Mountain quail are the most toothsome little critters you'd ever want to bite into. Grouse, ducks, geese, pheasants. Deer, elk, and antelope, too, rabbits and squirrels. Yessirree, felled a lot of timber, thinned thousands of acres, and planted about twenty million trees, give or take a million or so, built miles of trail so you flatlanders can have an easy hike and not get lost in the "wilderness"...what have YOU done for the woods lately? Hmm? Oh, yeah...clutch pearls about imaginary eggs and bugs. Hehehe...leftopathia...it's everywhere.

    • @blondbowler8776
      @blondbowler8776 5 років тому

      Hehehehe. I didn't gain much, but I did like the work. Again, I say...what have YOU done for the woods? Hmmmmm, skippy?

  • @h.w.8160
    @h.w.8160 5 років тому +19

    Axe skill level:
    -Beginner
    -Intermediate
    -Advanced
    -Swede

  • @MrSaemichlaus
    @MrSaemichlaus 5 років тому +6

    The broadaxe work is the most satisfying part to me. The sharper the tool, the easier the work and the better the result.
    Abraham Lincoln once said something in the sense of "If I had 10 hours to cut down a tree, I'd use 8 hours to sharpen my axe."

  • @marchaller548
    @marchaller548 3 місяці тому +1

    Ce documentaire très bien tourné montre très bien les stratégies de refend des bois employés depuis le Néolithique, très précieux pour nous archéologues: bravo à cette équipe qui travaille avec beaucoup d'intelligence et de réflexion, c'👍est parfait!!!

  • @munched55
    @munched55 6 років тому +9

    Actually found this film on an American Facebook page called Axe Junkies. I'm a Canadian that lives in Sweden now so it was for me, very satisfying to see Swedish skills and knowledge so widely appreciated. Great work and film, guys.

  • @TheFarmacySeedsNetwork
    @TheFarmacySeedsNetwork 5 років тому +3

    Awesome! Makes me want to work with wood like that again.. I built my greenhouse from logs and notched everything.. was so satisfying!

  • @vidviewer100
    @vidviewer100 5 років тому +7

    really good subtitles too, unusual !

  • @markforrestsm
    @markforrestsm 5 років тому +4

    Absolutely brilliant video! Loved every minute of watching craftsmen replicate ancient skills.. Thanks for sharing

  • @jamesball6069
    @jamesball6069 5 років тому +3

    Thanks for sharing your experience and thirst for preserving your cultural heritage.

    • @matriximaster
      @matriximaster 5 років тому

      Yes, Swedes these days are taught that they have no heritage. The have been brainwashed into cultural suicide.

  • @cmennenger
    @cmennenger 5 років тому +4

    Damn nice axe work. Good job brothers!

  • @iamvitranslator
    @iamvitranslator 3 роки тому +2

    Thanks a lot for saving your traditional crafts! Greetings from Saint-Petersburg!

  • @rockywr
    @rockywr 5 років тому +6

    Very nice to see how they did it, not only for Sweden but particular skills were passed around all over Europe so the same way might have happened in England etc.. I've always looked at beams and rafters in medieval places (pubs mainly) to see which were the original ones and which have been brought in to restore. The cuts are the give away of course but now I've more to watch out for on longer beams. Nice video well done gentlemen.

    • @charlesaanonson3954
      @charlesaanonson3954 5 років тому

      This video helped to give me some insight into how ships were built a long time ago as well. Very little wood was wasted.

  • @docfoot316
    @docfoot316 5 років тому +4

    Alot of hard work ,so well done

  • @jussikiviniemi1105
    @jussikiviniemi1105 6 років тому +8

    Sjukt häftigt!

  • @syncrosimon
    @syncrosimon 5 років тому +4

    A really useful and interesting video, thanks for taking the time to show us, and the English subtitles.

  • @Gkuljian
    @Gkuljian 5 років тому +3

    What a weird felling cut. Now I've seen everything. Very interesting.

    • @absalomdraconis
      @absalomdraconis 5 років тому

      The felling I'm familiar with uses a rope to pull the tree over, so I can definitely see the logic behind the wedges.

  • @Sk0lzky
    @Sk0lzky 5 років тому +9

    This is what I wanted to do when I started learning carpentry in spare time. I make shitty fiberboard drawers instead. One of the most painful reality checks

    • @MrDoomperson
      @MrDoomperson 5 років тому

      Start a design company? Make custom furniture

    • @c182SkylaneRG
      @c182SkylaneRG 5 років тому +1

      @@MrDoomperson The trouble is marketing that furniture and getting people to buy it. $700 for a hardwood bureau that will last for the next 500 years? Or a $20 fiberboard bureau that will last you maybe 6 months? Unfortunately, people don't think about the long-term quality of the product they're buying, and just go for whatever's cheapest at the checkout counter.

  • @Baamthe25th
    @Baamthe25th 5 років тому +7

    I'm impressed by the hewing process, it ends up being smoother than I expected. (Surely just the difference between being skiled and unskilled at it)

    • @Sadowsky46
      @Sadowsky46 5 років тому +2

      SpyMonkey3D yes, he truly is an axmaster

    • @social3ngin33rin
      @social3ngin33rin 5 років тому

      I just drag my logs down in a quarry a few dozen times ':D

    • @rickfortin3168
      @rickfortin3168 5 років тому

      and keeping a very sharp edge on your axe

    • @KendrickMan
      @KendrickMan 5 років тому +1

      i know I wouldn't be able to hew half that good

    • @MsStevo2000
      @MsStevo2000 4 роки тому

      my house is 200 years old and the beams have lots of hewing cuts in them. not nearly as smooth

  • @matthewfocke5360
    @matthewfocke5360 5 років тому +2

    This process speaks to our more ancient craftsman roots. It's wonderful to watch and learn.

    • @justpettet3506
      @justpettet3506 5 років тому

      Matthew Focke yeah we are all fucked.

  • @OriginalgEd
    @OriginalgEd 5 років тому +6

    Amazing work. Thank you for sharing your skills and experience.

  • @robertmecalis7189
    @robertmecalis7189 5 років тому +7

    Very interesting and a lot of hard work.

  • @sniffy6999999
    @sniffy6999999 5 років тому +6

    Lots of skill been shown.Also, you have to be fit to swing an axe all day. Kudos.

  • @rogerscottcathey
    @rogerscottcathey 5 років тому +2

    Thanks for providing subtitles. Nicely done.

  • @danielwylie-eggert2041
    @danielwylie-eggert2041 5 років тому +2

    Thank you so much for taking the time to document this experiment. Very interesting to see some techniques I have come across in different cultures repeated.